


by a thread

by ourdivineashes



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Coda, Gen, Spoilers, post episode 25, widofjord if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 02:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15184322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourdivineashes/pseuds/ourdivineashes
Summary: the remaining members of the mighty nein begin the search for their missing companions, and caleb reflects





	by a thread

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first thing i've written in about a year, the first thing i've posted in at least four years, but this show and these people have awakened that creative side of me again. hopefully i can work on posting a few more codas like this after each week's episode. this is un-betaed, any mistakes are mine and i can't be fucked to fix them lol.

the silver thread sits heavy in his coat pocket, burns hot on his chest just below his heart. how could he forget. for so many nights, he hadn't been able to sleep without unwinding that thread around their perimeter, setting the alarm just in case. and the one night he forgets...

 

"caleb," beau says with a nudge, casting a worried glance his way. the two of them sit in opposite corners of the cart, feet stretched out and barely brushing. for the past 30 minutes, beau has methodically cleaned and sharpened each of her throwing stars, while they let frumpkin rest in between scouting flights. when the four of them - molly, nott, beau, and caleb - came to the realization that their friends had been gone for much longer than they should, caleb set to work casting the ritual to shift the fey-cat's form into that of a hawk. with frumpkin's now-keen eyes and ability to soar farther ahead for a better vantage, they had found a semblance of a trail, something to at least get them headed in the right direction.

 

at hearing his name, caleb shakes his head. "uh, ja, i can. i can send frumpkin up ahead."

 

"no, i just mean," beau starts, then purses her lips. "you were gone there, for a second. just wanted to make sure that you're, you know..." she tilts her head forward a bit, not needing to finish the sentence.

 

caleb clears his throat. "i'm fine." he tries to ignore the way that nott has gone very still in the front next to molly, who drives the horses forward on this possible trail. with a small twist of his fingers, he calls frumpkin back to perch on his arm. he smoothes out the feathers along the hawk's neck, strokes gently under his beak. "find them," he whispers. "find him, please."

 

with a quick flapping of wings, frumpkin takes flight, and caleb closes his eyes to see through his familiar. the rickety creaks of the cart and the trotting of the horses' hooves fade away into a rush of wind, and even settled firmly into his corner, caleb still feels the swooping sensation of staring out over the hills and trees. there has been very little activity on the road ahead for the past couple hours, but heavy wheel tracks left in the mud still drying out along the path has been their saving grace. beyond that, they have next to nothing to go on.

 

frumpkin wheels low for a moment, and through his eyes caleb catches a glimpse of something hidden in a copse of trees, perhaps a mile or two ahead. he withdraws his vision, hearing returning with a slight pop, like a change in pressure.

 

"there looks to be something hidden in a few trees ahead," he says. he keeps his tone even, not wanting anything like fear or hope to seep through. "could be nothing, but it might have some answers."

 

"something hidden?" nott repeats. "do you mean like a body? or...?" she trails off, almost unsure that she wants to know.

 

"forgive me, i meant something large," caleb says. "i couldn't get a perfect look but it seemed almost like a wagon or cart of some sort."

 

molly makes a noise of irritation. "that doesn't seem suspicious at all. definitely not a trap waiting for us to spring it."

 

"caleb's right, it could be nothing," beau says. "maybe it's someone who had a cartwheel break or something, maybe they can give us a sense of anyone that's been passing through here."

 

"yeah, maybe."

 

molly's dour mood hovers over the silence, heavy like waiting for the first spot of lightning to strike. caleb has the feeling that perhaps he's not the only one thinking that this might be his fault. even after they had discovered the signs of a fight just beyond camp, there was an uneasiness in their bones as they stumbled over one important fact: not one of them had heard it. caleb's heart had stuttered in his chest, realizing then that he had neglected his security measure. it has been sitting heavy with him ever since.

 

he had caught himself watching fjord that evening as they set up camp. caught himself watching once again, after catching himself more than just a few times in the weeks preceding. there was something about him, a calm and confidence that made caleb feel at ease, and he couldn't piece together why. that was why he watched, he told himself. because he needed to figure out the answer. and so he had let his guard down. let parts of his defensive rituals fall to the wayside. with fjord around, he felt safe enough to take the time for these small considerations.

 

too safe, maybe.

 

with the small grove drawing near, molly steers the horses over to the side of the road. the four of them keep a wary eye for any signs of their missing compatriots. caleb frowns as he stares at the large mass hidden away in the shade of the trees.

 

"that... doesn't look like a cart," he muses out loud.

 

"no," beau agrees.

 

nott hops down and scampers ahead of them, molly and beau yelling after her to be careful on her approach. they all follow at a safe distance, but even as they draw near, caleb's confusion begins to morph into something else entirely.

 

"is that..." molly begins.

 

"shipwreck!" nott yells back.

 

caleb exchanges a look with beau and molly. sure enough, as they step underneath the foliage of the small wooded area, that particular smell of ocean and water-logged timber assaults their senses. before them, piled roughly four feet high, are the splintered remains of a boat tossed from the sea up against the rocks. the weathered planks of wood certainly look wet, but gingerly molly sets his hand against one just to be sure.

 

"now i don't have the map handy," molly says. "but i'm fairly certain we've got quite a ways to go before we hit the depths or the coast."

 

"caleb, what is this?" beau asks. "what is this fucking boat doing all the way out here?"

 

"i - i don't know," he stumbles. "perhaps some sort of transportation spell gone wrong..."

 

"guys," nott says weakly, and caleb realizes that she's on the other side of the pile.

 

the three of them make their around to her side, and it only takes a moment before their eyes are all drawn to one particular bit of flotsam near the top of the pile.

 

FIND HIM

 

the words are etched in garish, crude strokes. on either side, so blindingly familiar that it makes caleb's stomach drop, are two cat's eye symbols. the memory of fjord's weapon flashing into existence in the midst of battle washes over him.

 

"well," says molly. "we best get moving."


End file.
